Port aux Basque boy grows his hair for cancer

Melva Osmond, hairdresser at Hair Designer’s Unisex in the GrandBay Mall smiles as she cuts the hair of Mason Adey who is donating his hair to Angel Hair for Kids.

Mason Adey was seven when he approached his mom about wanting to grow his hair out.

“I told him he would have to have a good reason before I would let him do that,” said Mrs. Adey.

Well Mason had a good reason; he wanted to raise money for cancer and donate his hair to Angel Hair for Kids the Canadian version of Locks for Love.

Mason who is now nine and a Grade 4 student at St. James Elementary has been growing his hair out for two years.

“My teacher Mr. Hoyles asked me one day if I was growing my hair out for cancer and that gave me the idea,” said Mason.

When I told my parents at first my dad said that people would make fun of me. He asked me would I be able to handle that and I told him that I didn’t care because it was for a good cause he said.

At first kids did make fun of Mason, calling him names and giving him a hard time.

“Kids would call me a girl, or hippie,” he said.

Then his coach on his hockey team Mr. Carter told the other kids that what he was doing was very brave and noble.

“He told me hats off to you,” said Mason.

Kids started treating me better and not making fun once they knew why I was growing out my hair he said.

“We couldn’t figure out why we wanted to do it,” said Mr. Adey. “There was no one in our family who had ever been affected with cancer. “Then a few months after he started we found out one of our close friends was battling the disease.”

Mason’s mom contacted the cancer society and got all the paper work drawn up so that he could legally collect pledges to raise money.

So far he has collected $600 and hopes to raise more.

“Most of the pledges have come from our family and friends,” said Mrs. Adey.

Mason’s goal is to raise $1,000.

“Doing this makes me feel happy,” he said.

Last week Mason went to Hair Designers to get his hair cut and donate it to Angel Hair for Kids.

Judy Warren owner of Hair Designers is a cancer survivor herself and was more than happy to oblige Mason and give him a free haircut.

“I will do whatever it takes to help cancer research,” said Ms. Warren.